Just a Bet
by da-angel729
Summary: Just a bet?" Lee looked at Helo, who grinned around the lollipop in his mouth, and back to Kara. "It's never just a bet with you, Starbuck."


**Author's Note: **Everything you recognize belongs to SciFi Channel, Universal, RDM, etc. I'm just borrowing them. Written for "Ficlet Challenge #1 at **leeadamadaily** at LiveJournal with the following prompt: _bet_. As always, feedback and con crit appreciated!

--

**Just a Bet**

"It's just a bet, Apollo."

"Just a bet?" Lee looked at Helo, who grinned around the lollipop in his mouth, and back to Kara. "It's never _just_ a bet with you, Starbuck."

He was at the championship table of the monthly Strip Triad Championship, with Helo and Kara. Helo was down to his boxers, Kara to her underwear and sports bra. He had on his sweatpants and one tank. He was, surprisingly, winning. But he had a decent hand, and Kara had just bet he give her a kiss if he lost. Helo had already folded, so he was only facing Kara. He couldn't let her win. He didn't want to kiss her in front of everyone. _Liar_, the annoying voice in his head—which sounded remarkably like Helo's—taunted him.

He shouldn't have started playing. He hardly ever played Strip Triad—he was the CAG, and it wasn't setting a good example—but he'd suddenly realized he was tired of it. So he'd signed his name up. And the room had cheered. He hadn't realized the pilots _wanted_ him to play.

He'd regretted joining as soon as he'd sat down at his first table, with Hot Dog and Kat. He hadn't been dressed for it—he was wearing just his sweats and tanks—and everyone else had piled on the layers. His luck hadn't been going well, and he _definitely_ didn't want to lose to either of them. Fortunately for him, neither Hot Dog nor Kat could bluff worth a damn, and he'd won the table in a little under forty-five minutes, only removing his shoes.

His next table was harder: Racetrack and Gaeta. He didn't know how Gaeta managed to last to the second round—he wasn't known for his Triad skills—but he and Racetrack put him out in five hands. Racetrack had lasted another hour, and he'd ended up winning with full colours after she tried to bluff him. That had been the only full colours of the night.

Kara was grinning, which irked him, and he looked at Helo, whose face was blank. Helo rarely won, but only because he didn't want to. If he wanted to win, he did.

"Okay, Starbuck, here's the deal. If I accept the bet, and you lose, Helo here gets to pick something fun for you to do."

Kara looked at him, blinking three times in quick succession—she was bluffing—and at Helo, and the crew members still scattered around the rec room.

"Are you accepting the bet?" She asked him, voice full of laughter.

He looked back at his hand. What the hell. If he'd read her tell properly, he'd be all right. He nodded, eyes still on his cards.

She looked at her hand and nodded. "I accept. Prepare to lose, Apollo."

Kara laid her hand down. She had four on a run. Frak. How'd he misread her? She only blinked that quickly if she was bluffing. He set his cards down. Three on a run. She'd barely beat him.

"Starbuck wins!" Helo announced, and the room burst into applause. "I believe it's time for that kiss now, Apollo."

"I never figured you for a voyeur, Helo." Kara said, as the applause faded away into silence.

"You know me, Starbuck. Always ready to watch you and Apollo."

"You and everyone else," Lee said. The crew members shifted slightly and looked guilty, but no one moved.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gaeta taking bets. Gaeta would have made a great bookie. _Lee, why are you looking at Gaeta when you should be looking at Kara?_ Helo's voice was still nagging him.

Lee looked straight into Kara's eyes. She was looking back at him, still grinning. He'd wipe that grin off her face. She thought she'd won.

He leaned forward, smiled. Stared at her. Her lips were slightly parted, and her eyes were brimming with laughter and something that looked like…anticipation? Well, she could wait a bit longer.

The watchers were growing restless, Lee realized after a few minutes of them staring into each other's eyes. He'd better get to it before they decided to start the game back up. Kara licked her lips, and Lee leaned forward even more. He stopped moving barely an inch from her mouth, and Kara closed her eyes. Her lips curved.

He brought his hands up, placed them on either side of her head. Leaned forward a little more, and brushed his lips against her cheek. Her eyes shot open, and she gave him an annoyed look.

"What?" He asked, voice low so no one could hear.

"Would you please just kiss me already?" Her voice was rough, abrasive, and it was what he'd been waiting for. "I want to get back to play—"

He covered her mouth with his, and the rest of her sentence disappeared. She made a sound of surprise—and responded quickly—when he slid his hands around to the back of her head and pulled her toward him. She nearly fell onto his lap but managed to catch herself by placing her hands on his shoulders. Their tongues met, darted away, and back, battling for dominance.

Just like everything they did.

Helo cleared his throat, and Lee broke away, looking over at him. "Something wrong, Helo?"

"It's time to start the game again, that's all."

Kara had removed her hands from his shoulders and was slouched in her chair. Her eyes were slightly glazed. He felt shaky himself, and hoped no one noticed how off-balance they were.

No one did.

Except Helo, who won the tournament.


End file.
